Treading Water, But Only Just
by DraconisHyperion
Summary: AU/Retelling of the film (involving some of the video game events) featuring an OFC. Like Jake, Bay Archer has just lost her twin and must replace her in the Avatar Driver program on Pandora. Unlike Jake, however, Bay is just your regular, run-of-the-mill civilian. Sort of. (Story better than summary, I promise!) Not a self-insert or Mary Sue. No beta. R&R!
1. From Dying Dirt Ball to Lush Forest Moon

**Author's Note:** This story came to me randomly some months ago, and I ended up typing about 10 pages in just a few days. It's hopefully a new take on the whole "retelling with another set of twins, one also dies and the non-scientist has to replace them" story. Some events are the same as the film (and the all around lore of that universe), but this is very much an AU. It's unclear if this is going to involve romance, canon or not (because tbh, I'm not a big fan of Jake/Neytiri), but I'll put it as a genre anyway and change it later if need be.

 **I DO NOT HAVE A BETA READER**. All mistakes are my own, and if you see any, feel free to point them out to me.

 **Disclaimer:** Avatar, including the film, characters, lore, etc., is owned by James Cameron, 20th Century Fox, etc. This story is written for fun only, and I claim no profit whatsoever. I only claim the original characters of my own making, and the AU plot-stuffs within.

 _'/Thoughts./'_

 _"Na'vi being spoken."_

[typed in English to avoid long translations at the end of chapters.]

 **Na'vi word(s)**.

[Translation will be provided either in-chapter, or at the end.]

Enjoy!

* * *

Five years since I'd last seen my sister in person, and now, I was seeing her for the last time. Staring down at the shitty cardboard box containing the body of my twin, I couldn't really say I was surprised. Eleanor, as smart as she was, never knew when to quit or mind her own business. Always seeing the best in everyone, even when it wasn't there. They told me she'd tried to stop some lowlife from mugging another man, and ended up dead because of it. And just a week before she was set to head out on her trip to Pandora.

Sighing softly, I kiss my fingertips and press them to Ellie's forehead before turning to give my full attention to the agent who had delivered the news of my sister's death. Acceptance and adapting had always been my forte, so a kiss was the only goodbye I needed before moving on. At least that was what I was going to tell myself.

Blank faced, I listen as the agent attempts to half-bribe, half-threaten me into taking Eleanor's place. He gets halfway through explaining how our DNA is the same before I interrupt.

"Ya want me to take 'er place. Fine," I say, pulling a small notebook and a pen from the pockets of my jacket. I scribble down a name, address, and phone number and hand it to the agent. "Here's who you can send most of the money to. Just tell 'im it's from Bay and t' have fun. I only need enough to put Eleanor's stuff in storage 'til I get back."

After getting a small, almost confused nod from the agent, I tell him I'll be back in two days.

"Gotta pack, ya know," I half-mumble, sparing a short glance to the incinerator as I leave.

0o0o0o0o0o0

They tell you that you won't dream when you're in cryo, and they're right. It feels like no time has passed. What they don't tell you is how shitty your entire body is going to feel as you wake up; like a trip down a flight of stairs and a vodka hangover.

I barely notice as my pod is opened, too busy groaning in pain and attempting to unhook straps holding me down.

"We there, then?" I ask the medic floating above me, and she nods, assisting me in getting free. As soon as I'm off the table, though, my stomach churns painfully and I grimace. Seeing the look on my face, the medic points to a small bag and I lunge for it gratefully.

After not-so-delicately emptying what little was in my stomach, I float over to my locker and pull out both of my duffle bags. I do a quick check to make sure nothing's missing before joining the haphazard line to the first Valkyrie shuttle. Thank God- _/or would that be Eywa now?/_ -my last name is Archer and they're sending us down in alphabetical order. I would hate to be stuck in zero-gravity for so long waiting on a shuttle.

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Exopacks on!" A voice shouts, startling me out of my distracted thoughts and bringing me back to the present. Having not really heard what was said, I look around, and follow everyone's example of putting my exopack over my face.

"Remember people, you lose your mask you're unconscious in twenty seconds, and you're dead in four minutes. Let's nobody be dead today, it looks bad on my report," the same man says again, and I roll my gray eyes at the terrible attempt at humor.

I stand along with everyone else in my row, the straps of my duffles crossed on my chest and back, the bags themselves mildly uncomfortable weights on either hip. The cargo ramp opens slowly, giving me my first look at the moon we call Pandora.

"/ _Gotta say, not very impressive,/"_ I think, before letting out a quiet snort. " _/Probably 'cause this is a boring, human, military-lookin' base./"_

"Go directly into the base! Do not stop!" The same man-the crew chief, I suddenly realize-yells from in front of the ramp opening, and as one, both lines set to a quick jog toward the building. It takes only moments for all of us to get inside, and immediately we are herded to what I assume is a cafeteria of some sort.

Standing near the center of the room is a clearly older, but noticeably muscular man dressed in army fatigues with a gun strapped to his leg. He had a clear, authoritative air around him, made stronger by the three rough scars on the side of his head and face, and eyes as steel gray as his hair. Eyes just like mine.

I'm barely two steps through the doorway before I make a one-eighty right back out. I had never met him in person, but I'd seen enough pictures and heard enough stories from my mother to know who he was. Colonel Miles Quaritch; my grandfather, and the only blood family I had left.

I slip away quickly, following the signs to the Bio-Lab. Looking around the main room, I scrunch my nose up slightly at the sight of busy scientists and high-tech equipment everywhere. Ignoring the occasional glance from people, I meander my way to the link room and approached the raised circular platform in the middle.

"S'cuse me," I say, just loud enough to get someone's attention. "I'm Archer, one o' the new Avatar drivers. Is there anyone who wouldn't mind showin' me to my room?"

"I can help you out with that," a voice to my left says, and I turn to come face-to-face with a rather curly-haired scientist who had a smile on his face and his right hand extended. "Name's Max Patel; nice to meet you, Doctor Archer. "

"Pleasure's mine," I reply as I shake his hand, letting the 'doctor' title go, even though I knew it to be a lie.

I had never actually gone to college or trained for the Avatar program, but Ellie had made me learn and study with her from the beginning. I think she may have felt guilty about our parents choosing to send her to college and not me, but I had always known they would. She had always been better in school than me. Honestly, I was just glad we were close enough to share our lives and who we were with each other, despite us living on different continents.

And in any case, letting him think I was a doctor was better than telling the truth; that I was some nobody from the slums of London here to replace her dead twin as an Avatar driver.

"I heard about your sister; I'm sorry," Max adds, and I just give a small smile in response, letting my hand drop back to my side. "Anyway, follow me and we'll get your stuff to your room. Then, when the other drivers are here, I'll show you all around the lab and introduce you to Grace."

0o0o0o0o0o0

My room is small and minimal; a basic bed in the corner, a clothing drawer that doubled as a nightstand next to it, and a door on the right wall that led to a micro apartment-style wet room*. It was perfect, considering I would pretty much only be in here to sleep.

Figuring I could just unpack my bags later tonight, I leave them on the bed and make my way back to the Bio Lab. I immediately look around for Max, but hear his voice instead and follow it to find him talking to two men-one tall and lanky, the other pushing his wheelchair towards Max, right next to-

' _/Oh...Wow, they're big,/'_ I think as I focus on the three massive amino tanks containing Ellie's and these two mens' avatars.

"...They'll take a few hours to get decanted, but you guys can take them out tomorrow. There's yours," Max finishes saying, pointing the man in the wheelchair to the middle tank. He wheels around to see, essentially, himself in the body of a native.

"It looks like him," he says, just loud enough for me to hear from my place a few feet away.

"No, it looks like you. This is your avatar now, Jake," the lanky driver tells the man in the wheelchair, Jake, before he turns to look at the last Avatar. My avatar.

"Who's is that one?" Jake questions, looking back at Max for an answer.

"Oh, that's-" Max begins, but I cut him off, stepping forward to join their little group.

"My Avatar," I say with a small frown, placing my hand on the tank. "Well, s'mine now, anyway.."

"Eleanor?" the lanky man half-mutters, looking like he'd seen a ghost. "But I thought-"

"You're thinkin's right. I'm Bay, Ellie's twin," I say, holding my hand out to him. "They asked me to take her place.."

"Oh, I didn't know she had a twin. Sorry, I.." Norm lets the thought trail away as he shakes my hand. "I'm Norm, by the way."

"It's fine. Good to meet you, Norm."

0o0o0o0o0o0

"...So here I am. Doing science...Never been in a lab before." I hear Jake say into his video log, and I roll my eyes in amusement. I had finished my own log a few moments ago, though I tried to keep it professional.

"Alright, log off. It's time to meet your boss for the next six years," Max suddenly says, motioning us to follow him into the link room.

"Grace Augustine is a legend! She's head of the Avatar program and she wrote the book-I mean literally wrote the book-on Pandoran botany," Norm practically gushed, prompting Max to half-turn back.

"That's because she likes plants more than people."

I laughed at that before jumping slightly as an angry voice yells out, "Who's got my goddamn cigarette!? Guys, what's wrong with this picture?"

"There she is, Cinderella back from the ball," Max exclaims, taking the yelling in stride. "Grace, I'd like you to meet Norm Spellman, Jake S-"

"Norm, I hear good things about you. How's your Na'vi?" Grace asks, soundly friendly enough now that she had her cigarette in hand.

" _May the All Mother smile upon our first meeting,_ " Norm says in Na'vi, touching his fingers to his forehead briefly and nodding towards Grace.

" _Not bad. You sound a little formal,_ " Doctor Augustine responds, making Norm smile a bit sheepishly.

" _I studied for five years, but there is much to learn._ "

"Uh, Grace, this is Jake Sully, and Bay Archer." Max interrupts their conversation, and Jake sticks his hand out as he's introduced.

"Yeah, I know who you are, and I don't need you I need your brother," Grace snaps at Jake, glancing over at Max as she continues on. "You know, the PhD who trained for three years for this mission."

"Well, he's dead," Jake replies bluntly, his face a stone mask. "I know it's a big inconvenience for everyone."

I wince a bit at that, and immediately after I tense my shoulders as Grace turns her attention to me. Thankfully though, her ire was directed at both Jake and myself; at least I wasn't the only one in the line of fire.

"And you don't look like an idiot, Archer, but do either of you have any real lab training?"

"I dissected a frog once," is Jake's immediate, sarcastic answer, which only frustrates Grace more.

"You see? Now they're just pissing on us without even the courtesy of calling it rain! I'm going to Selfridge."

"Wait, Grace," Max tries to stop her by putting a hand on her arm, but Grace just pulls away.

"No, this is such bullshit!" She yells as she stomps away, other scientists practically running out of her path.

"Here tomorrow, oh-eight-hundred. Try and use big words," Max says with a pained look before disappearing off to another part of the lab.

As he goes, a thought suddenly occurs to me and I turn to Jake with furrowed eyebrows. "Wait, did he say Sully? Was your brother's name Tom?"

"Yeah, why?" Jake answers, looking a tad more confused than I felt. At his answer though, I smile wide and take Jake's hand into my own.

"A few weeks before she passed, Ellie told me she was gettin' married ta some boy named Tom Sully," I explain, and Jake smiles a bit, though he still looked faintly confused. "I dunnow if they did or not, but I'm 'ere if you ever need anythin' for any reason, **tsmukan**."

"Smoo-can?" Jake repeats, horribly butchering the Na'vi word and making me laugh.

"No. **Tsmukan** ," I sound out slowly, letting go of his hand. "It's the Na'vi word for brother."

"Uh, alright," Jake says slowly, obviously not sure where to take the conversation from here. Thankfully Norm steps in, suggesting we all go catch an early dinner in the cafeteria.


	2. Testing: Same Hardware, Different Case

**Author's Note:** So, it took me a little longer than expected to get this next chapter out, but it's here now! Also, for anyone interested, I have a twitter for fanfiction [ DH_Fanfictions ]. Updates, "behind-the-scenes", sneak peeks, and other little snippets for all of my stories.

 **I DO NOT HAVE A BETA READER.** All mistakes are my own; feel free to point them out to me.

 _'/Thoughts/'_

 _"Na'vi being spoken."_

 **Navi word(s).**

0o0o0o0

 **Enjoy the Chapter!**

* * *

The next morning, I slowly drag myself out of bed and to the bathroom to splash water on my face. Groaning, I pat my face dry with a hand towel and examine my face in the mirror, suddenly noticing that I had hardly changed at all during the trip here.

' _/Damn that cryo is really somethin',/_ ' I think as I run my fingers along my cheeks and head. Same gray eyes; same thin face; same black hair cut into a long, floppy mohawk. The only thing different I could see was the faint hint of laugh lines in the corners of my eyes.

Scrunching up my nose, I go back to the bedroom to dress in a black tanktop, some brown cargo pants, and a pair of black combat boots. Throwing my hair up into a messy bun, I declare myself ready for the day and head off to the Bio Lab.

"Oh, Bay! You're early," I hear Max say in surprise as I enter the Link room. "It's only six. Grace isn't even up yet. But that's fine; we can get your Avatar prepped and get you in before Jake and Norm."

Still half asleep, I just give Max a double thumbs up and half-collapse into a free chair. "Cool. Lemme know when she's ready," I hear myself mumble, already dozing off.

0o0o0o0o0o0

I feel like all I've done is blink when someone taps me on the shoulder, and I sit up with a small yawn. Sitting up, I pat on my cheeks and shake my head a bit to wake up fully before attempting to stand.

"You're all ready to go, Bay. Link Bed One," Max tells me, and suddenly I'm excited for what's about to happen. I practically skip over to the link bed, kick my shoes off, and hop in. Taking a deep breath, I lie back and pull the biometric sensor grid down over me.

Amused by my behavior, Max grins as he taps a few buttons, tells me to clear my head, and then closes the hood of the link chamber. I look around for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and closing my eyes. For a moment, nothing, and suddenly there's a burst of different colored lights, and then I'm opening my eyes again,

At first, all I see is two very blurry med-techs, but my vision clears quickly and I grin.

"How are you feeling, Bay?" one of the techs asks after checking my sight and hearing.

"Sorta strange, but the good kind o' strange," I reply, my eyes widening in surprise at the slight difference in my voice.

"Good, good," the other tech says. "Why don't you try to get a feel for your limbs and muscles, and sit up when you're ready."

I hum in agreement, slowly shifting and wriggling around, curling my fingers and toes, and shrugging my shoulders awkwardly. Curious to see my skin, I lift my arms up above my head, and let out a shout of surprise at the sight of my hands.

"Why do I only 'ave four fingers each!? I thoughts Drivers 'ad five, like our regular bodies?" I demand to know, turning my hands this way and that, looking at the palms and backs of them several times over.

"Calm down, Bay," Max responds quickly, over an intercom. "We're not really sure why, but Eleanor's-that is to say, your-DNA bonded differently to the Na'vi DNA."

"Which means what, exactly?" I inquire, watching myself curl and uncurl all eight digits slowly. ' _/I suppose it's not too different…./_ '

"Instead of being ninety-three percent Na'vi and seven percent human, you're closer to ninety-six percent Na'vi," Max explains. "It doesn't sound like much, but the only human or Avatar features you have are ten toes, and your neural queue is at the base of your skull."

"Freaky," I mutter to myself before finally deciding to sit up. I do so carefully, wanting to avoid any ataxia.

"Doing great so far, Bay," one of the medical techs tells me. "Why don't you turn this way and we'll run you through a series of tests before getting you up and about."

0o0o0o0o0o0

I scowl in frustration as I dig through my dresser, tossing clothes behind me when it isn't the one I want. "I know I brought it wit' me.."

After going through all the tests in my Avatar body, the techs had been all set to let me dress in regular clothes and head outside for a few hours. Until, that is, I had mentioned that I had come straight here after waking up; then they promptly kicked me out. Apparently, it was a big no-no to link on an empty stomach, so they sent me off to get breakfast.

Which I did, but just as I was heading back, an idea came to me, and I rushed back to my room.

"Aha!" I shout, holding my desired item above my head like I'd achieved some great victory. A strappy caged bralette that I had worn only once, yet still brought with me to Pandora anyway. The only time I had tried to wear it, I felt weird and out of place, but in my mind's eye, I could see my Avatar body rocking the hell out of this. With or without a regular shirt to go over it.

Stuffing the bralette into one of my pockets, I hurry back to the link room and make it there in time to see Grace taking off her lab coat and shoes.

"Mornin', Doctah Augustine!" I remark to announce my presence, prompting Grace to frown slightly.

"Max told me you were going to try and stay linked for hours without eating," she comments as she sets up her own link bed, making me shrug.

"Didn' know I wasn't suppose ta, but I've eaten now an' I'm ready to go back in."

"Good; I'll see you in a few minutes, then." Grace nods to me as she lies down in her chamber. As soon as she's in, I turn to Max while fishing the bralette out of my pocket.

"Hey, Max. Can ya get this ta my Avatar? Thanks." I toss the article of clothing at him before going over to and getting in the link bed some other scientist was kind enough to prepare for me. Without waiting for an answer, I close the chamber lid and in moments I'm back in my Avatar body.

Like waking up after a nap, it takes me a few moments to orient myself and sit up. Just in time to see Jake stand and pull his wire sensors off.

"Jake, wait! You're not used to your Avatar body yet!" I hear Max yell through the glass, just as one of the techs shouts, "Sedate him! Sedate him!"

"I got this," Jake insists before stumbling his way out the door, Norm following him out while saying he'd "bring Jake back". All five medical techs run after them, and I roll my eyes.

"Boys. **Skxawng** , all of them," I mutter as I stand, making sure my hospital gown is tied all the way so I wouldn't moon anyone. ' _/I might as well go after 'em./_ '

Rolling my eyes again, I head out the same doors as the others at a light jog. One of the med techs tries to stop me, but, like Norm and Jake, I just ignore them and continue on.

"Check it out. I am a living god." I hear Norm say while he poses, just as I reach them.

"Oi, _living god_ , your arse is hangin' out," I laugh, lightly smacking the back of my hand against Norm's hip as I pass by him and into the soft soil of the garden. Norm lets out an embarrassed squeak and his hands dived for the edges of his hospital gown to cover his rear, making Jake double over, howling with laughter.

"What are _you_ laughin' about, **tsmukan**?" I ask teasingly, a small wicked grin on my face as I glance to Grace and back to Jake. "Considerin' the view ya givin' Doctor Augustine, an' all."

It was Jake's turn now to let out a noise of embarrassment, straightening up while reaching for his hospital gown, and my turn to laugh uproariously. Grace looked startled by my comments and laughter, but after a few seconds she joined in, though quieter in her amusement.

* * *

 _ **Skxawng:**_ _idiot._

 _ **Tsmukan:**_ _brother._

0o0o0o0

 **Author's Note:** I know it kind of ends suddenly, but it was the best place I could find to end the chapter. Thanks for reading!


End file.
